Police called to a Hartlepool home found the bloodstained victim of a candlestick assault in the lounge, Teesside Crown Court was told.

But the court heard that, before the alleged attacker could be brought to trial, he himself suffered a seizure which left him brain damaged.

Before the court is Francis Goller, 24, of Collingwood Road, Hartlepool, who was found unfit to plead by a jury to charges of wounding his girlfriend's twin brother with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and common assault on his girlfriend.

In a rare legal process, a second jury now has to decide if he carried out the actions set out in the charge.

Prosecutor Sam Andrews told the court how the two alleged victims, twins Peter and Paula Beddow, shared a home in Gatesgarth Close, Hartlepool.

On the night of the alleged attack, November 28, 2000, Goller and Paula had been out for a drink but had an argument on the way home, he said.

On their return to the house, said Mr Andrews, Goller attacked Peter Beddow, at first punching him and then hitting him on the head with a metal candlestick, causing a serious injury to his scalp.

When Paula tried to intervene, he said, Goller struck her as well.

The police were called, Mr Andrews said, and discovered the bloody aftermath of the incident.

Arrested and interviewed, he said, Goller had claimed that Peter Beddow had not been paying any rent to his sister, and he had planned to throw him out.